search Engine Optimization

Without SEO your website will not get found easily on Google

TLDR: Every website we build includes Foundational SEO – the technical groundwork most web designers skip. For most local service businesses, this alone is enough to perform well on Google over time. If you’re in a competitive niche or want to rank nationally across South Africa, there are additional steps. This page explains exactly what they are, what to expect, and what it costs.

Why SEO?

A Good-Looking Website Does Not Mean You’ll Rank on Google

This is the most common misconception we see — and it costs business owners real money. You can have a beautifully designed website and still be completely invisible on Google.

Why? Because Google needs to be told that your website exists, what it’s about, and who it’s for. Without that groundwork, your site is essentially a shop with no sign above the door.

That’s what SEO does. And there are different levels of it depending on what you’re trying to achieve.

Foundational SEO

Included with every Website we build.

Most web designers treat SEO as a completely separate service. Some will set up Google Analytics at the end of a build and call that “SEO done.” It isn’t. We include Foundational SEO as standard on every website we build because there’s no point handing you a finished website that Google doesn’t know exists.

The 9 steps we complete on every build:

KW research for your Home Page
KW research for your Service Pages
Dedicated Google account setup (separate from your personal Gmail)
Google Analytics – track who visits your site and what they do
Google Search Console – see exactly what people search to find you
Google Tag Manager Setup
Website sitemap submitted to Google
RankMath SEO plugin configured
Google Sitekit integration

Also included…

Google Business Profile Optimisation

Your Google Business Profile is the listing that shows up on Google Maps when someone searches for your type of business nearby. It’s often the first thing a potential client sees and most businesses leave it half-complete.

We make sure yours is fully filled out, accurate, and has real photos. We also give you a simple Google review-request template you can send to your clients via WhatsApp or email after every completed job, so collecting reviews becomes part of your normal workflow.

What results can you expect?

For most of our clients in non-competitive local niches, the Foundational SEO alone is enough to reach page one of Google – sometimes within a few weeks, usually within a few months. No monthly SEO fees. No extra SEO work from after we go live (except for you requesting your client reviews).

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Google Reviews

The One Thing Only You Can Do

No technical SEO replaces genuine reviews from real clients. Google begins showing businesses more prominently in local results once they hit around 30 reviews.

The real benchmark, though, is having more reviews than your top competitor.

We can’t collect these for you but it’s one of the highest-leverage, zero-cost actions you can take for your local visibility. The template we give you makes it easy to ask consistently after every job. Build this habit and it compounds over time.

Citations

For Competitive Local Niches

If your Foundational SEO is solid, your Google reviews are growing, but a competitor is still sitting above you – Citations are usually the next step.

A citation is a mention of your business name, address, and phone number on trusted South African directories and authoritative websites. It signals to Google that your business is established and legitimate. Citations are typically a once-off exercise – you don’t need to repeat them monthly.

We submit your business details to at least 50 high-authority local directories that are known to influence local search rankings.

Local SEO vs. National SEO

What’s the Difference?

Local SEO: is about showing up when someone in your city searches for your service – “plumber in Cape Town”, “electrician near me”. Foundational SEO, Google Reviews, and Citations are the three pillars that drive local performance.

National SEO: is about showing up for broader searches across South Africa that aren’t tied to a specific location – “best accounting software for small businesses”, “how to get more clients as a contractor”.

This requires consistent, long-term effort: quality backlinks from authoritative sites, and ongoing technical optimisation. If your customers could be anywhere in South Africa, or if you’re going after high-competition search terms, Foundational SEO alone won’t be enough.

That’s where Ongoing SEO comes in…

On-going SEO

For Businesses That Want to do well Nationally on Google

For businesses ready to compete beyond their city, we offer a managed Ongoing SEO service.

What’s included at R10,000/month:

Up to 15 target keyword phrases
Quality backlink acquisition
Keyword research and strategy
On-page optimisation
Technical audit and ongoing fixes
10 x local directory listings
24/7 campaign tracking
Monthly performance reports
No long-term contract. Cancel with 30 days’ notice.
30-day money-back guarantee – if you’re not satisfied after month one.

Be clear-eyed about the timeline: National SEO is a long game. Depending on your industry and competition level, meaningful results typically take anywhere from 3 to 12 months. But businesses that commit to it build a compounding source of leads that doesn’t switch off the moment you stop paying for ads.

Any Guarantees?

Nobody can ethically guarantee you a specific Google ranking. Anyone promising “page one in 30 days” is either using shortcuts that will eventually get your site penalised, or simply not telling you the truth.

What we can tell you is that our clients consistently see real, measurable results. We don’t report on vanity metrics – for on-going SEO we track the keyword phrases that actually bring in business and report on them honestly every month.

Which is for you?

Getting started as a local service business? Foundational SEO is included with your website. Focus your energy on collecting Google Reviews consistently.

Established locally but struggling to outrank competitors? Citations are likely your next move. A once-off investment that strengthens your local authority. This assumes your website and GBP are setup correctly.

Ready to grow beyond your city and capture national search traffic? Ongoing SEO at R10,000/month is the structured, long-term approach that gets you there.

Frequently Asked Questions

For questions not answered below: info@aligndesigns.co.za

Is SEO included when you build my website?

Yes. Every website we build includes Foundational SEO at no extra cost. This covers keyword research, full Google property setup (Analytics, Search Console, Tag Manager), sitemap submission, RankMath plugin configuration, and Google Business Profile optimisation. Most web designers treat this as a separate paid service — we include it as standard because a website without it is not set up to succeed on Google.

How long does SEO take to show results?

It depends on your niche and how competitive it is. A brand new website typically takes 1–3 months before Google even begins indexing it properly. From there, most of our clients in non-competitive local niches start seeing page one results within a few months. In highly competitive industries or for national SEO, the realistic timeframe is 3–12 months of consistent effort. SEO is a long game but the results compound over time in a way that paid ads never will.

Can you guarantee I’ll rank on page one of Google?

No, and you should run from anyone who says they can. Google’s algorithm is constantly changing and no one controls it. What we can tell you is that our approach is ethical, proven, and built on strategies that produce real results for real South African businesses. We show you exactly what’s happening every month, in plain language.

What’s the difference between local SEO and national SEO?

Local SEO gets you found when someone nearby searches for your service – “plumber in Johannesburg” or “dentist near me”. Your Google Business Profile, citations, and Google Reviews all play a major role here. National SEO is about ranking for broader search terms across South Africa that aren’t tied to a specific city. This requires ongoing work: quality backlinks, consistent optimisation, and time. Most local service businesses only need local SEO. National SEO is for businesses targeting clients across multiple cities or competing in high-traffic, non-location-specific searches.

What are citations and do I need them?

A citation is any mention of your business name, address, and phone number on an authoritative website or directory. They help Google verify that your business is legitimate and well-established. Not every business needs them immediately but if you’re in a competitive local niche and your Foundational SEO and reviews are already in place, citations are often the next move. It’s a once-off exercise, not a monthly recurring cost.

How important are Google Reviews for SEO?

Extremely important for local search. Google starts surfacing businesses more prominently once they have around 30 genuine reviews. More importantly, you want to have more reviews than your top local competitor. No technical SEO work can fully compensate for a sparse review profile. We give every client a simple WhatsApp and email template to make asking for reviews after each job quick and painless.

How much does Ongoing SEO cost and what does it include?

Ongoing SEO starts at R10,000 per month. This covers up to 15 target keyword phrases, quality backlink acquisition, keyword research and strategy, on-page optimisation, technical auditing and fixing, 10 local directory listings, 24/7 campaign tracking, and monthly performance reports. There are no long-term contracts – you can cancel with 30 days’ notice. We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied after your first month.

Do I need Ongoing SEO or is Foundational SEO enough?

For most local service businesses such as plumbers, electricians, medical practices, contractors – Foundational SEO combined with a consistent Google Review strategy is enough to perform well locally over time. Ongoing SEO is for businesses that want to rank nationally across South Africa, are in highly competitive local markets, or want to aggressively grow their organic search presence beyond what the foundations alone can achieve.